Travel

Tiffany Gambill is a Massachusetts native with Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA), a rare, incurable, degenerative neuromuscular disorder. She is a full time wheelchair user who blogs to share accessible adventures and vegan eating.

Her disability makes typing difficult, and using voice to text nearly impossible. She doesn’t let that stop her from sharing her journeys and helping others. Below is an abridged version of her experience visiting Quebec as a wheelchair user. You can check out the full story, here. 

Written By Tiffany Rose

Last August, I traveled to Canada with my parents, visiting Montreal and Quebec City. The weather was beautiful, so the crowds were heavy. Finding a wheelchair-accessible hotel for three people in Old Quebec was a challenge, but I discovered The Clarendon Hotel. It looked promising online—and honestly, the bright yellow walls sealed the deal for me.

The accessible entrance was on the side with a concrete ramp and an automatic door that closed a bit fast. Inside, a second ramp led to the ground floor check-in desk, where a man wearing a yellow tie greeted us. We booked their accessible suite, which featured a king bed, sofa bed, tall windows with luxurious curtains, a desk alcove, and gold chairs. The bathroom setup was decent, with a tub and shower chair instead of the roll-in shower I was told I’d have. However, the toilet had drop-down grab bars, and the sink had open space underneath for wheelchair access. My main complaint was the round toilet seat, which felt tight even though I don’t have a big frame.

The hotel had a small elevator, but wait times weren’t bad. On the ground floor was Mordus, a seafood restaurant that served delicious meals. Breakfast was included, and the raspberry butter was heavenly—thankfully, they sold it separately too! Meals like deviled egg seafood, eggs with salmon lox, cappuccinos, and chia pudding made it a standout spot, even for non-hotel guests.

Exploring Quebec City was charming. The streets were made of large stone blocks, manageable in my wheelchair. We admired artist stalls (closed at night), the lit-up Fairmont Hotel, and a nearby monument bustling with street performers, though it was tough for me to get close. We also did the Hop On/Hop Off bus tour, which was a great way to see the city quickly, especially with a 2-day ticket.

Behind the monument, we found the boardwalk, the winter toboggan slide (closed in summer), and the Funicular—a $5 outdoor elevator with stunning river views. Old Town’s shops and restaurants often had steps, but colorful umbrella displays and the historic walled city made up for the limitations.

On our final day, we planned to visit Montmorency Falls but hit Labor Day weekend traffic and found out there was a fee to view the falls. We decided to skip it and head home instead. Overall, Quebec City was beautiful, although navigating accessibility required some flexibility and patience.